Cretan wine has a long history.

Wine was certainly being made by the Minoans before 1600 BC. Wines from Crete are not listed among those specially prized in classical Greece, but under the Roman Empire in the second century AD Crete was known for a sweet wine, protropos, which was exported to Italy. In late medieval Europe, in the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries, vino di Candia (Candia is modern Heraklion) and Crete are wine names listed as highly valued in several sources from western and northern Europe. They were sweet and "hot" wines (hot in a dietary sense).

Within the current classification of Greek wine there are several Cretan appellations, including Peza, Archanes, Dafnes and Sitia.

Cretan Literature

Cretan Literature

Erotokritos is undoubtedly the masterpiece of the Cretan literature.

According to some philologists, the first works of Modern Greek were written in the Cretan dialect during the 16th century (others consider the beginning of modern Greek literature as early as the 10th century, with the first work being the epic poem of Digenis Acritas). Erotokritos is undoubtedly the masterpiece of the Cretan literature, and perhaps the supreme achievement of modern Greek literature. It is a verse romance written around 1600 by Vitsentzos Kornaros (1553-1613).

Crete Music

Crete Music

Crete traditional folk music with lira

Crete is an island that is a part of Greece. The traditional folk music of Crete is called κρητικά (kritika). The lýra is the dominant folk instrument on the island; it is a three-stringed fiddle similar to the Pontian kemenche. It is often accompanied by the Cretian lute (laoúto), which is similar to both an oud and a mandolin. Thanassis Skordalos and Kostas Moundakis are the most renowned player of the lýra.

Heraklion

Iraklion or Heraklion

Is the largest city and the capital of Crete Greece.

It's population is about 300.000 and is one of the largest cities in Grece. Heraklion is the capital of Heraklion perfecture, it has an international airport and port. The most significant place to visit in Heraclion is Knossos.

Iraklion Heraklion Crete Greece

Crete Climate

Crete Climate

The climate in Crete is primarily temperate

Crete straddles two climatic zones, the Mediterranean and the North African, mainly falling within the former. As such, the climate in Crete is primarily temperate. The atmosphere can be quite humid, depending on the proximity to the sea.

Minoan Civilization on Crete

Minoan Civilization on Crete

The Minoan civilization were a pre-Hellenic Bronze Age civilization in Crete in the Aegean Sea

The Minoans were a pre-Hellenic Bronze Age civilization in Crete in the Aegean Sea, flourishing from approximately 2700 to 1450 BC when their culture was superseded by the Mycenaean culture, which drew upon the Minoans. Based on depictions in Minoan art, Minoan culture is often characterized as a matrilinear society centered on goddess worship.

The term "Minoan" was coined by the British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans after the mythic "king" Minos, associated with the labyrinth, which Evans identified as the site at Knossos. It is possible, though unsure, that Minos was indeed a term used to identify a specific Minoan ruler. It could also have been used to describe the current ruler of the Minoan civilization. What the Minoans called themselves is unknown, although the Egyptian place name "Keftiu" and the Semitic "Kaftor" or "Caphtor" and "Kaptara" in the Mari archives, both evidently referring to Minoan Crete, are suggestive.

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